Tangled Zutara
by wishiwasthecapedcrusader
Summary: Katara was a water bender. She lived in a tower with her 'mother' Hama, a master who would teach her everything she knew. When the time was right, they would attack the kings, becoming rulers of all the kingdoms! Well, that was the plan anyway. It all got mixed up when Katara met the banished prince of the fire nation: Zuko.
1. Narrative

Narrative

Once upon a time, there lived 4 kingdoms. The kingdoms were based on the 4 bending elements: Water, Earth, Fire and Air.

They lived in harmony, as long as the avatar lived.

Until, the fire nation attacked.

The battle was catastrophic. The avatar died in the avatar state, breaking the avatar cycle. Fire lord Sozin died along with many fire nation armies. In the end, both sides lost. In order to create and keep peace, the nations decided to arrange marriages between the nations and keep all the nations unified. No kingdom would be greater than the other.

Everything seemed well. The fire nation's prince was officially betrothed to the water kingdom's princess: Katara. She was a beautiful baby, big, curious blue eyes; dark brown locks, and smooth brown skin. Her older brother was as beautiful; betrothed to the Earth kingdom's princess, Princess Suki. The family was very happy, their kingdom growing, the children growing, when suddenly

 _Splash!_

 _The queen stared in shock, as the baby girl in her arms giggled._

 _"Hakoda! Come here quick!" She yelled_

 _She looked at her daughter and saw her once again splash water in her face. Without the use of her hands. Or feet. Or-_

 _"What is it?" King Hakoda panted, tired from running after hearing his wife screaming_

 _" And why are you all wet?"_

 _"I think Katara just bent the water from the tub!"_

 _Hakoda looked toward his beautiful daughter, who was completely dry, when suddenly he too was drenched_

 _Katara laughed at her daddy' face, filled with joy, shock, and fear all at once._

 _"Our daughter is a water bender"_

Soon, word got out. And that word, also reached the only other water bender living: Hama, the blood bender. She was a legend not know to be true, and when she heard of the young girl's abilities and decided to do what was right in her eyes. One night, when the full moon was high in the night's sky, she broke into the palace, stealing the child. The king and queen tried to stop her but was quickly stopped with the shattering truth that this woman could blood bend. Hama left with the baby, killing the queen in the process. Hakoda was devastated, losing his wife and daughter in one day. He was determined to keep his son, and search for his daughter who far away was snuck into a large tower, hidden deep in the dark forest, away from the world. In memory of his lost daughter, every 21 of June, her birthday, thousands of glowing lanterns were let into the sky.

Hama raised Katara as her student. Young Katara learned the ways of water bending alone, in a tower. She had no friends, no freedom. Every year, she would see these lights on her birth date, and deep in her little heart, she felt like someone was calling her, something needed her. And every year, her need and want to go outside and go there grew stronger and stronger. Year after year, king Hakoda never lost hope. He knew one day, he'd see his daughter once again, and he hoped that one day he would see his whole family together, happy as one.


	2. Chapter 1

Katara sweptbehind the vase, cleaning off her sweat with a flick of her hand. She sighed, wondering if she really had to sweep behind the vase if no one but her and her mother were going to see the vase. It was a beautiful afternoon, one that made you feel alive, and want to go out. But of course, outside was just too dangerous so Katara was left to do things inside, as always. She sighed again, wondering when things would change when she heard a chirp behind her and she felt the rush of happiness she always got when he came.

"Aang!"

The winged lemur chirped again, happy to see his human friend still at alive.

"Yup, still here" reading the lemur's thoughts. She moved toward him by the window sill and pet his head where there was a blue patch in the shape of an arrow. She named him Aang after the once alive avatar whom she had read so much about. she didn't know much about the original only that he could bend the four elements and that he was supposed to keep peace between the nations. She only had a few books about history but she wanted to learn so much more.

"So, what treasures did you bring today?"

Katara waited for the lemur to understand her question, and watched him take off again. Every time he would come, he'd bring her something from outside. Sometimes it was something cool and useful, like a stolen hair brush, or a nice pin. But sometimes he'd bring the most ridiculous things like a stick from the park or a rotten tomato he'd found on the floor.

She looked out the window seeking the white blur in the sky, bringing something shiny in his claws.

He landed on the frame and handed her a blue cloth with a stone on it

"What's this?"

It was a dark blue ribbon with a lighter blue stone with a symbol engraved onto it. It was very beautiful, and a little familiar?

"Mraaarrrr"

"Yeah Aang?" She said a little distractedly. She looked towards him and saw Hama on the ground below.

"Oh, its mother! Aang, you better run off, I don't want her slapping the broom on your face again." She sighed softly, remembering the last encounter between the two.

"Katara, I'm coming up"

Leaning over towards the window, she could see her mother bending the water from the nearby pond into a swirling tornado, more controlled obviously, slowly rising towards the top. She moved to the side to give her some space, sliding the cloth with the stone into between her belt and dress. When Hama finally reached the window, she entered throwing the basket on the nearby table, looking exhausted.

"Hello mother, how are you? You look tired" she said looking her over.

"Only a little my dear. The journey to the village is a long one but I manage. I was able to get some sea prunes from the market place. So its sea prune soup tonight, your favorite" she replied in her croaky old voice.

"Maybe I could go with you next time. You know, for safety reasons and to help you carry the stuff…" she said smoothly. Katara brought the idea of her going out every chance she got to, wanting to explore the world instead of her humble home. Hama knew this but only said

"Nonsense, I can handle those ruffians and thugs out there by myself. It's you whom I worry about. The world is a dangerous place Katara, especially those fire nation no good-"

"I know, I know. No good, stupid, dangerous, cruel, pathetic, sluggish hog monkeys with nothing but dirty, selfish pride, and wasteful products.

Hama narrowed her eyes at Katara, knowing fully Katara didn't truly think that.

"Look Katara, you have no idea what the world is like out there. What people are like and what they do. They have no respect for people like us and never will. We must stick together so we can one day show them our power. Show them-"

"Why not now? Why wait? Can't we just see and talk to them first and let them decide how they treat us instead of assuming they'll disregard us?" She says on the verge of yelling, hoping her mother will understand.

Hama stayed silent watching Katara carefully.

"I will be in my room. You will cook tonight, bring me dinner and practice an extra 2 hours as punishment for speaking out of line again. Good night."

With that she left, leaving Katara holding in anger she would soon let out in practice. She hated that her mother would constantly do this to her, leave without hearing what she has to say, not saying anything in return or at least fighting for what she believed in. At least Katara had passion; she just didn't have anyone to share it with. Without further thinking about the situation, she began to cook. Burning it accidentally but it was decent. After serving her mother, she went to her training room. Well, if you call a small room with a tub filled with water and some rugs a training room then yes, she went to train. She let her feelings control her movements, moving the water more aggressively tonight from the little argument she had. The water turned into long whips, slashing the walls and leaving dents on the ceiling. Soon she got tired, and just decided to think. Leaving her hands on her knees, palms towards the ceiling allowing her to move water in a circular motion in front of her. She closed her eyes and thought.

 _Today is June 15. In just a few days, those lights will return. The same day I turn 18. The day I become an adult, a grown woman. So long ago I waited for the day I would become an adult, someone independent and free to do the things I want, go wherever I want to go, be someone greater. If only I could get mother to let me go out. To let me see those lights and let me be where i'm supposed to be. Maybe I could show her I can protect myself, if I show her I'm strong, surely she'll understand and let me go. Surely she could let me leave on my own. But then again, I could always- wait. No. I can't I just, leave. It's not my place. But…hasn't mother always told me that I have rights? Don't I have control over what I do with my life? Why can't I just leave?...I-I can't. Mother loves me dearly. She only wants the best for me and tries to do the right thing. I should wait for when she thinks is the right time to let me go._

With that, she opened her eyes and let the water flow back to the tub, got up and went to her bed. But in her dreams, she was out there, watching the night sky with thousands of floating lights. And they were leading her, leading her to the place she loved and those who loved her.


	3. Chapter 2

Authors note: So yeah, it may be a little OC but i'll try not to do it too much.

The next morning Katara got up early to do the chores. Mopping, sweeping, all that jazz. She finished by the time Hama left at 9:00, who acted as if nothing had happened yesterday. This left Katara free for the day. On a normal occasion, she would practice her water bending, bake or read. Today, she decided she would relax in a long bath. After filling the tub with bubbles, she unrobed. The necklace inside fell out of the belt, reminding her that Aang had brought her that yesterday.

Inside the bath, she inspected it. She stared into the stone, with beautiful engravings. She was sure she had seen it somewhere. It felt familiar. She wondered if she could ask Hama about it, but decided against it. She wanted to keep it, so she put it on the counter. After finishing her bath and bending the water off her body and hair, she put on her blue robes. She wanted to put it on, but something about the necklace made her need to hide it. So, she put it again in her belt. With that she went on to read some books on the shelves in her room. After finishing two of them, she remembered that Aang hadn't come in a while so she thought it would be nice to cook him something. She sighed, thinking how usual it felt, doing pretty much the same thing over and over, and every day. She wanted excitement in her life. You know, a little spice. Little did she know she would be getting a special visitor tonight.

OOO

Prince Zuko ran as fast as he could, well as fast as he could without leaving his uncle behind. The earth kingdom's guards were catching up with him and if they didn't escape, they'd be in a lot of trouble.

"Uncle they're catching up! Run faster!"

"Zuko! Wait!"

He looked back to see him panting and leaning on his knees. He pointed at himself, then to the right. Then he pointed at his nephew and then to the left.

He got the message and nodded and they split up, hoping to reunite when they got the chance. He looked back to see most of them following him on their horses and was glad that they had chosen him instead of his uncle. It meant he was more of a threat _. I'll show them a threat_ he thought, as he suddenly turned around with a blast of fire from his fist heading straight towards them. They blocked it just in time with a wall of rock covering they're view for just a few seconds. Those seconds were all he needed to escape. He ran to the right in search of his uncle whom he found making his own fiery escape. Iroh had blasted fire towards their horses, making them buck off their riders in fear and run away. He was about to enter the fight when two hands suddenly grabbed his collar from behind in a try to choke him. Prince Zuko elbowed him in the ribs and the man's hands loosened enough for Zuko to turn around and flip the guy over. He looked at his piece of work on the ground before stepping over his body and spitting out

"That's what you get for messing with a prince"

The man groaned in pain and looked behind the prince's feet. He heard his uncle shout something at him, but when he looked up he was suddenly knocked out on the ground.

OOO

Zuko awoke with a sharp pain on the back of his head. He groaned and when he opened his heavy eye lids, he found himself on the ground in a shallow cave. He looked over towards the sunlight and saw it to be around noon. A dark shadow loomed over him and smiled.

"Nephew, you really must keep that haughtiness of yours in check"

He looked at his uncle, still a little groggy and was surprised to see him with no cuts or bruises.

"What happened" Zuko asked, getting up from his lying position.

"You were knocked out by a rock" he stated simply

"I was able to knock them out and I carried you here. They will probably come by soon so we must find another place to stay."

Zuko felt the pain in his head rush back and stumbled a bit. Iroh got him and told him they should probably look for a proper place to rest. Zuko didn't want to rest, he didn't want to do anything. In fact, all he wanted was to leave this place and go back home. But of course he couldn't, he was banished by his own father from the fire nation when he was 15. He couldn't go back, not now anyway,but that didn't stop him from still wanting to go back. Iroh told him he should wait here in the cave, until he came back with supplies from the village. And hopefully, news of some place to stay. He left Zuko in the cave and promised to be back before sundown.

When he was banished, his uncle insisted on accompanying him. They had been fugitives in the air kingdom for a while until they kicked them out after finding out who he was. They didn't want the banished prince who didn't have any honor. It was then that they went to the earth kingdom, where they immediately caught on who he was and kicked them out too. Zuko refused to be kicked out of a city a second time and stayed. They got attacked for it and he was paying the consequences. Now all he could do was steal and rob food or money, and pretend to be immigrants in search of a home. He hated this but at the same time found it better than showing his face to the water tribe kingdom; considering they had a quite a history. But as time moved on he found it more difficult living like this, and felt more and more like crossing the borders just a little. It was while he was thinking of this when he heard the guards again, talking to each other little ways ahead of him. Without a second thought, he got up and sprinted away, knowing fully what they would do to him if they found him. _Oh no, how will I find uncle if I_ \- His mind stopped as he found himself in front of a large fence. _The borders_ , he thought. He knew this was the earth kingdom's limits and knew the guards wouldn't be able to track him past this point. Without allowing doubt to creep in, he climbed over it and landed softly on the ground in the new territory. He turned back to hear the voices again and so, ran a little deeper into the forest. Until he heard no more voices, he slowed down, stopped and rested on a tree trunk.

"Now what" he grumbled.

 _Great. Just great. You left your uncle in the earth kingdom where he is a wanted criminal because of you and now you're stuck in the middle of the water tribe kingdom's forest. Why are you always getting yourself into these messes Zuko?_ He thought with his uncle Iroh's voice in his head.

He got up, seeing as it has been a while since he'd been sitting there and decided to look for shelter. Another cave would be nice he thought, as he pulled some vines from a large rock pile. He found the vines to lead into just what he wanted. In hopes to see if it was safe enough, he went deeper into the cave. He was surprised there was light on the other end and was even more surprised to see what was at the end of it. There was a tall tower surrounded by a waterfall. Looking over its outside state, it looked as if no one had been there for years. He decided it was safe enough to go in and after inspecting the rocks, he took out his dao swords and began to climbing it. He did not know that indeed, there was someone inside.

A little cheezy maybe but hey, this is my first fanfic and first actual submission to writing a whole story so its probably not the best. Please review and comment on how i can do better, it'll mean a lot to me. thanks :)

Btw, Katara has normal hair length if it wasn't clear.


	4. Chapter 3

I forgot to mention i do not own anything. Not tangled or Avatar, nada de nada.

Chapter 3

Katara chased the lemur with her water stream, who was flying all around the living room. She laughed at the surprised noise he made after getting caught, completely drenched. She liked playing with the lemur, as she was completely bored after darts, baking and some candle making. She lay down with her hair sprawled around her and yelped when a drenched Aang landed on her belly.

"Aahh, don't get **me** soaked!" She laughed, bending away the water from his fur and her dress, throwing it out the window. She was going to lay down again when she heard a yell from outside. A **manly** yell.

"Where did this water come from?!" Following the man's sudden outburst were spitting sounds of disgust.

Katara was so shocked she didn't react for a while. She found her voice again and almost went to look at the intruder. But she remembered what her mother had said about the people out there and then thought of something else. Grabbing some more water, she froze it into a solid ball, ready to hit him when he entered. She hid behind the curtain ready to defend herself from anything.

OOO

Zuko didn't know what that was but he would get to the bottom of it. _Or should I say top of it_ he thought, chuckling quietly. He was such a loser sometimes. Anyway, Zuko kept climbing determined to find out the source and demand an explanation as he reached the window sill. Holding onto the frame, he looked inside briefly, and noticed that the place was recently cleaned, had nice furniture inside, paintings on the walls…he sniffed and smelt: recently baked chocolate chip cookies?

 _Bang_

Once again, Zuko found himself hit on the head, on the floor.

OOO

Katara made an eek when she saw him on the ground. _Dead? No, he's breathing_. _Okay, okay relax. He's unconscious, probably only for a little while. Ohhh, what to do? What do do?_ She looked back out the window to see if anyone was with him. Seeing nobody, she looked back inside. Seeing his dao swords on the ground, she decided to inspect him for any other immediate threats.

Using an icicle she formed, she pulled his mouth wide open and was surprised to see no sharp teeth or fangs like she had read in some fantasy books. Rather, he had a nice set of teeth actually. She pushed aside his dark straight hair and saw his face. He had a large scar on his left eye and cheek, but the rest of his face looked fine. In fact, the more she looked, he was more than fine. He was actually quite handsome, straight nose with pouty lips and dark lashes. She wondered what eye color he had when suddenly; two golden orbs stared back into her bright blue ones.

"Huh?"

 _Bang_

 _Dead. For sure he's dead this time._ She checked his pulse. _Nope, still breathing_. She wasn't sure if this was good or bad. He certainly had a strong head, and if he was to stay longer, she needed to restrain him. She looked around the room, hoping to find something… _The closet!_ She put him inside the large empty closet by the side of the room and tied him up with some ropes, ready to be interrogated once she found the nerve to talk to him and the opportunity. Her mother would be here soon, and if she saw she had an actual person in the closet, she would flip-

But then she thought of how her mother told her they would leave once she was ready. Well, bringing down a man certainly could attribute to being ready, right? With sudden hope, she closed the closet doors and anxiously waited for the moment her mother came home.

Aaaaaannnd: this idea came to me during a meal with a friend of my dad's, not having read entwined or any other fanfics about a tangled crossover. So, i did not copy or steal any ideas from others, just to let ppl know. i promise. I actually only read the beginning of entwined after making a draft for chapter 13 and i just realized how similar they were and how much better it was (cries). But! I stopped reading just so i don't steal any ideas form others, trying to make this wholly on just my ideas.

This story is mostly just to get that idea i got out of my head, as it had been driving me nuts not to write it. it may not be the darkest or most romantic or most amazing story out there, it's mainly just so i can let out my thoughts.

That's all :P -wishiwasthecapedcrusader


	5. Chapter 4

Hama knew that in just a few days, there would be a full moon. The same day Katara turned eighteen. She had waited so many years to teach Katara the one amazing technique that would complete her training: blood bending. During all these years, Hama taught Katara water bending slowly, starting from basic movements like a water whip, to master techniques like creating giant waves. Of course, Katara had to do this from the top of the tower, making her even more powerful than she had ever hoped for. Katara was ready, and any day now she would introduce this new form to her. If only she would pay more attention. These last few years, Katara had become distracted. More wallowed into the idea of going outside, especially to see those lanterns. Hama had to conceal any information about those from her. How hard it was to do that when she was becoming so smart, even tracking stars to prove they were real and not a figment of her imagination. If only she'd use that time to practice techniques instead of tracking imaginary things that she will never understand.

Looking at the stand, she bought the last pack of apples to make an apple pie. Maybe today she would tell her the news. She walked home, acting like the scrawny old woman she was, deep into the forest where she knew Katara would be.

As she got near the clearing, she wondered if the girl would recognize her brother when they were to attack. Surely, by the time Katara mastered blood bending the king would be dead, and they would only have to overthrow one man and woman to have the crown in the water tribe kingdom. She wanted to rule, even if it was just a tiny bit. She knew she couldn't do it alone, and wanted a successor. That is why when she heard about the princess being a water bender, she took her. She would be a perfect heir to the throne, and, do the things Hama wanted to do. Make the world bow down to the strongest bender of all time, Hama.

When she reached the bottom of the tower, she called out like always. She bended some water from the pond beside the tower, and shot herself up with it to the top. She could see Katara waiting at the window and therefore slowed down. Once Katara moved out of the way, she entered.

"Hello mother! How was your trip?" she chirped loudly, clasping her hands together Hama raised her eyebrows at the sudden cheeriness but didn't question it. She never had children before, so she never quite understood Katara.

"It was fine. I bought the last bunch of apples so we can make a sweet apple pie for dessert tonight. I have special news for you so I thought, why not a special dinner."

Katara was surprised to hear this, as they haven't had a 'special dinner' since…well ever.

"Well, thank you mother. I actually wanted to talk to you to about something."

"Yes dearie?"

Katara closed her eyes and clasped her hands tighter "Well…you see mother, in just a few days I'm turning eighteen. I'm becoming an adult now and I wanted to do something special for this occasion. I was hoping we could, I don't know, go outside? Maybe even see the-"

"Katara, not yet. I have already told you. Until you are ready, we will leave this place and so what is meant for us to do"

"But mother, how do you know when I'm ready? I need to prove-"

"Katara, I know, you're not ready. You still have a lot to learn, and I intended to talk to you about that this evening."

"But mother, I already-"

"No Katara! You're not leaving this tower until I say so!"

"How can you treat me like this? I have always listened to you, why can't you just hear me out on this! "

"Because I already know you want to leave, but YOU ARE NOT READY!"

Katara stood panting. Tired of this banter, she stayed quiet. If her mother wouldn't listen, fine. She would just have to find another way. She looked at Hama again and stayed quiet, surrendering herself.

Hama realized she must have been yelling really loudly as Katara stood silent. She shut her eyes and rested her forehead on her hand.

"Look. All I wanted was for us to have a peaceful dinner. We can still do that. How about this: we have dinner, I tell you the news and I'll fulfill any wish you have, other than leaving this place. I can't give you that yet, and you know it."

Katara really didn't. She didn't understand why she had to stay here for so long. But she agreed to her mother's deal and left to her room. Inside, she closed the door, trying to ignore the argument and life she had right now. She plopped on her bed sighing. She didn't know what to ask for at dinner, since all she really wanted, was to leave this place for at least a while. At least to see the lights one night and find out what they were. Why they were there. But stuck, here she was. On her bed. In a tower. With only her one person she could ever talk to-

She sat straight up on her bed, completely shocked that she had forgotten about the man in the closet. What would she do about him? She only had a few hours left before he would wake up again. She needed to get her mother out of the house, to get rid of him. Only, she kind of didn't want to get rid of him. She wanted to ask him questions, questions she couldn't ask her mom, and find out who he was. But to do that, she would have to get her mother out, for a long time. A day? Two days? She didn't know. It would be best to have her gone for as long as she could, so she wouldn't worry about her finding out. Using her intellect, she soon smiled as she came up with a great plan.

OOO

They ate dinner quietly, as always. Soon, the apple pie was brought out and as Hama was cutting a second slice she began to speak.

"Katara, I have taught you water bending, from the first moment you bent water, to now. You have learned much and you are quite a great bender. But I haven't taught you all I know."

"Thank you mother. I feel great knowing you think I'm great at bending. You never really say it a lot-I-ahem. Sorry- But what more is there to learn?"

"Katara, remember when I taught you that water is everywhere, in the air, the plants, even on our bodies like sweat?"

"yes…"

"Well, Katara, masters have learned to use their skills to even bend the water **inside** our bodies…" Following her statement, she cleaned the knife she was using and split her finger. Katara gasped and was about to get up, until, she saw that all the blood that had begun to pour out, went back in.

"You see, Katara, our bodies are made of mostly water, including our blood. We can bend it and use it in any way we like."

Katara watched as Hama closed her cut. She watched her bend away the blood from the knife and throw it out the window, like she had earlier with water. How can she so easily manipulate it? How can she just treat blood as if it were just dirty water?

"I know it seems a little scary" she says, putting the knife in her lap. "But it is a necessary technique you must learn in order to become a master water bender. At first, I could only do it on a full moon, when the moon gives us water benders the most amount of energy. But now, I have become so powerful, I can do it whenever I want."

The first thing that came into Katara's mind was the word no. She did not want to learn this technique. She felt like blood was something sacred, and bending it from inside someone would be forcing someone to do things against their will if she were to manipulate it. The second thing she thought was how on earth, Hama could have learned this, but she didn't ask. She realized the next full moon would be on the 21, the same day she turned 18. She didn't want to learn this on her special day; especially since she would much rather do something entirely different that night. Remembering the deal, and the fact that it would indeed be her birth date, she told Hama

"Mother, I have already thought of what I wanted instead of leaving, but it will require time to get it. Six days to be exact. You would be coming home the day after the full moon."

Hama stayed quiet, disappointment rising to her then disappearing just as fast. "What is it you wanted?"

"…Paints? The ones you brought when you went to the earth kingdom that one time?"

She remembered. They only sold that paint on the western end of the earth kingdom, far away from here. It had been a long journey, but Katara had loved the paints as they were especially made. Hama looked suspiciously at Katara, wondering why she would choose such a difficult thing to get, but just sighed. She wouldn't go back on her word for something as big as this kind of deal so she agreed to get it for her. She was a woman of class.

"I'll go tomorrow morning. I can go back to the village tonight and grab some items for you here, and some for me on the trip."

They agreed on that and soon, Hama was ready to leave for the evening to buy some more food.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes mother"

And then she left. The sun was beginning to set when Hama reached the tunnel. Katara didn't want to lie to her mother; she wanted to be a good child. It's just that, her mother was so…unreasonable. She was growing up and she convinced herself she needed to do this. Katara looked out the window to make sure she was completely gone before she went back inside to deal with her prisoner.


	6. Chapter 5

Katara stood outside the closet door, having a chair and ropes nearby, ready to tie him up even more if need be. She used a whip of water from her pouch to open the closet door handles and watched his limp body fall with a _thump_ on the ground. He skidded across with a _skreeeee_ sound until he moved no more. She was glad he was still unconscious but her mother would return soon so she knew he would only be awake if just for a little.

She looked over his body, seeing the ropes were a little looser, and thought she should tie him up for an interrogation. With a huff, she lifted him off the ground. Surprised by his weight she almost toppled over, but she quickly regained her balance and used some water to help lift him up. Soon she had the stranger real tied up in the chair, ready to be interrogated. While she was struggling, Aang had come to greet her, and now watched as the water bender examined her work.

"Well, I guess all we can do now is wait."

Aang looked towards the man, whose head hung low with his hair covering most of his face. He flew off Katara's shoulder and landed on the stranger's lap.

"Aang, wait!"

Aang looked up to see the man's face and as soon as he saw it he let out the loudest screech man has ever heard. Katara knew that would wake him up for sure and she walked into the shadows. She already planned that she would be dramatic and bold. She couldn't afford to mess up first impressions. Surprisingly though, he didn't wake up. She waited a while longer until he began to mba.

"Urggh"

Zuko awoke a second time that day with a burning pain behind his head. He groaned again, wondering what it could have possibly been now. He was going to lift his hand up towards his throbbing head when he felt the ropes

"What! What's the meaning of this!" He cried out into the empty looking room "Who are you and what do you want from me?"

He was primal she thought. Scared, intimidated, probably not from around here.

"The question is, who are you?"

She replied, her voice more calm and collected

Zuko wasn't sure he'd heard right. Was that, a young girl's voice?

His question was soon answered when a young woman stepped into the light. The sun had already set, leaving a glowing moonlight cast white light over her body, making her seem angelic. Her brown waves fell around her waistline and her eyes...oh her eyes were a glowing blue, sparkling in the moonlight. On her shoulder was a bizzare creature and in her hands were...icicles?

"Who are you and how did you find me?" She asked more forcefully this time.

Aware he was staring, he cleared his throat. He didn't know this girl or her capabilities, but was quite sure he could handle himself. But first, he'd have to get rid of these bindings. He slowly began to rise his body temperature so that the bindings would loosen.

As a distraction, he began to speak

"I'm Lee, a fellow traveler in search of a place to stay. I saw an empty tower and decided to climb it." He paused to let the info sink in. "Now, who are you?"

She was surprised to hear no fear, in fact he sounded almost cocky, and authority laced his raspy voice. She hadn't heard a man's voice in very long so she felt a little intimidated.

 _I'm the interrogater, I have the power, don't let him scare you._

"What do you want here Lee? What are you scheming? Have you come here to kill me? Has someone sent you to assassinate the master water bender?"

He gasped, precisely the reaction she wanted. At first she didn't want to reveal that information but then she thought, oh what gives.

"You're a water bender? A master?" He said with a confused face.

"Yeah, and you better listen to what I have to say Lee because I'm in charge here."

Zuko was almost done loosening the ropes enough to escape. _Just a little more time_. He looked around the room for his swords so he can make a quick escape.

"If you're looking for your swords, you won't find them. I've hidden them. Somewhere you'll never find them."

Zuko raised one eyebrow and looked again around the room.

"They're in that vase, aren't they?"

She suddenly got angry that she was having no effect on him.

"I don't have time for this. It seems to me you're lying, Lee. You're a criminal on the loose but I'm not going tom arrest you. Why? I can answer that later. But right now, someone is coming and if she sees you she will hurt you."

She guessed the part about him being a criminal but at seeing his eyes widen a little, she knew she was right. Whoever he was, she still needed to talk to him. She didn't know about what yet, but she felt like their business was not done. She went behind him and began pulling his chair towards her room.

"Hey!" He whined. "I didn't come here to talk to random girls or be protected by a one!"

And by then, he had the ropes loose enough. He jumped off the chair and lit a flame dagger in his fist. He saw her surprised face and he smirked.

"What, didn't think I could defend myself?"

She quickly recuperated from her initial shock and held her icicles close to her in a defending position. They circled one another, never breaking eye contact.

"You know, I've never fought a water bender. Let's see if your skills match the legends."

He was about to strike when he saw her suddenly look out the window with a shocked and distressed look on her face.

He looked behind him out the window and saw an old woman slowly walking towards the tower. The woman, was pulling water from the stream, like a water bender.

"Well what do you know-"

Suddenly he felt numb from his toes to his neck. Looking down he saw that he was frozen in a giant block of ice. When had she acquired that much water?

"Hey!-"

She shushed him by putting her hand over his mouth. Her face a foot away from his she whispered

"Do not speak a word. That woman knows you're a criminal and will arrest you. Or maybe even worse. I'm going to lock you inside my closet and you will not move or make a sound until I open it again. Do you understand?"

He fumed beneath her, blushing a little at her contact with his face. She looked to see how far away her mother was. Calculating, she had 2 minutes to get him into her room, into her closet. She let go of him and began to push the ice block towards the stairs. After some seconds of struggling she heard him point out

"You know, you could just ask me to hide in there nicely."

Katara was surprised to hear his voice suddenly calm and collected. She looked at his face again to see he was smiling.

"You would run away" she said, eyes narrowing.

"You wouldn't know that"

She was losing time quickly, and if she was to continue pushing the huge ice block with him inside, her mother would find her still at the bottom of the stairs. She gave him an annoyed look, exasperated he was right.

"Alright. Im going to trust you. Just don't, I, don't run away. You wont make it far and when she sees you, She will kill you"

Zuko was originally planning on just escaping, but seeing how serious she was, he admitted, he was a little scared. Just a tiny bit. If the woman outside had powers like her, with even more experience, he wouldn't end up very far. He never had faught a water bender and didn't know their techniques. So he decided not to risk his left so early.

"Okay, okay I get it."

She quickly melted the water and put the water in a nearby vase.

She grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards her room and shoved him inside the closet.

She looked him dead in the eye

"Do not. Make. A. Sound."

And she shut the doors, leaving him in complete darkness.

OOO

Katara went back to the living room putting on her normal face. _I can trust him. I can trust him...right? Urgh_. She hated this. She wasn't sure what to do with him. She didn't know if he was good or bad. She didn't know anything about him. How was she supposed to trust him? Thinking back, she realized that was her first human contact she ever had with someone other than her mother. With that thought, her hand began to feel warmer, and so did her face. She tried regaining composure quickly though, as she knew her mother might see through her.

Hama casted a large shadow entering the window. She had two large baskets full of food and items and looked rather exhausted. Katara momentarily forgot about the Lee in her closet because seeing her mother in this state urged her to help.

"Here, let me carry it for you" she said, ushering herself towards her. She held the two baskets and set it in the kitchen.

Hama followed her.

"I'll sort out the things; you go on ahead and have a good night's rest. You'll need it for the journey"

Hama nodded, and left to her room, which was below hers. She was indeed very tired and she knew she would be in deep slumber once she hit the bed.

Katara sorted the things out, and soon had a basket ready for take tomorrow morning. She could hear Hama snore a little, and that was her sign to let Lee out.

Slowly she crept inside her room, slowly closing her door not to let any sound emit. She got closer to the closet and was afraid to open it. _What if he attacks right away? Did he leave? What will I say? Why am I even keeping him here?_ She wasn't sure, but she stayed cautious. She held one handle of the closet and opened it.

He yelped.

"Cheez, you scared me" he panted, still sitting with his knees by his chest. He glared at her.

"sorry" she winced "I I mean to."

Again, he glared at her.

She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Well, why don't you come out of the closet and we can talk like civilized people."

He slowly stepped out, also cautious of the situation

"You never told me your name"

She looked up at him, wondering if she could trust him with it. He must have seen her suspicion since he spat

"Hey, if you're going to trust me and I'm supposed to trust you, I'm supposed to know your name right?"

She stared at him, still thinking. She let her shoulders slump in defeat.

"Katara"

"Katara" he repeated in a whisper to himself. Hearing someone other than her mother say her name felt foreign, but it felt nice, she liked it.

"Well Katara, it seems like you've kept me here for a reason. What's the deal?"

 _No more small talk I see_

"Well, I've kept you here because..." she paused. She wasn't exactly sure why she did, but an idea struck her.

"Because, I need a favor."

He raised his good eyebrow.

"A favor?"

"Yes. You see, I'm looking for someone who can take me to see the lights that come up every 21 of June. I've always wanted to see them in person, but I don't know how to get there. You can act as my guide and take me to see these lights."

Zuko just watched her point towards her ceiling, which had a painting of the lanterns they light for the lost princess every year

"Why would I do that? I don't owe you any-"

He thought of his uncle. They needed money. If he could get money in return, he would do it. He needed something of worth to take back to his home, and maybe she could give it to him.

"What would I be getting in return by taking you there?"

She had been expecting this question but she really didn't know the answer.

"Uhh, well you see...umm." she said scratching her head. She really had nothing of worth. "How about, you take me and I'll give you anything you want when we return." She said with hopeful smile

Zuko didn't think that was worth it until he saw something shine on her belt.

"What's that in your belt?"

"My belt?" She looked down to where he was pointing and saw the pendant sticking out. "It's just this necklace my friend found."

She held it out into the light so he could see. It was beautiful and suddenly he knew where it was from. He had seen it on a young woman's neck a long time ago, in the palace he was supposed to get married in with her daughter.

Katara noticed his eyes widen after a second, and decided to put it back inside her belt.

"So do we have a deal?"

She waited for his reply while he still looked in awe at the non-existent pendant in her hand. She noticed how quickly his feelings changed on his face. From shock, to inquiring, to worried, to resolved. In the end he looked a little smug and smirked.

"Deal"

.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, i was pretty busy in my not really so busy life. I know it's a little slow but it'll get faster. Don't worry


	7. Chapter 6

Katara looked through the window from inside her warm bed at the moon. It was big and bright but wasn't yet full. Her thoughts went back to what her mother had said earlier and it made her feel uneasy. She thought back to when she was 15, when she had thought she was a master already. Hama never told her she was, in fact she would always push her to do better. No, she thought it, because she was able to make a giant wave cover their whole 'yard' around the tower. Back then, she thought she could do anything. But it was soon clarified she couldn't when Hama ordered her to clean up the mess. From her window. All the way up the tower. And no help. Now, she remembered that it had been a full night the night she was able to do it. She wondered just how much power was in her hands on a full moon now, since she had learned so much since then.

Her thoughts were interrupted with the shuffling and grumpy noises coming from beneath her bed.

"Be quiet, my mother's room is right beneath us you know" she whisper yelled, the third time this night.

"Well sorry. It's just a little hard finding a comfortable sleeping position beneath someone's short bed." He whisper yelled back.

"Hey, my bed is actually quite big you know, and I am very comfortable in it."

"You don't have to rub it in my face like that. urgh. how much longer till its morning?"

"I don't know. Why don't you fall asleep so we can find out in the morning."

"the answer would change by then"

"you wouldn't" she mumbled

"what was that?"

"nothing" I answered.

"no I heard you say something quite clearly." He said, haid popping out from beneath. He looked at her face with raised eyebrows in question.

""no, I didn't. Now go to sleep." She said pushing his head back in.

Despite the situation he sort of found it amusing.

"What if I don't want to?"

She didn't really want to sleep either, also enjoying their quiet playful banter. But her mother could wake up if they continued so she just stayed quiet.

The prince waited for her reply but got none. He sighed and just scooted back underneath the bed. _Maybe things will get better in the morning_ he thought. With the calm breathing of the water bender above him, he fell asleep.

OOO

The first thing she saw when she awoke were two blue eyes looking into hers

"Ahhh!"

Hama laughed then coughed.

"Its 8:00"

"Oh! Wow, I slept in…Ha-ha, wow." She gasped "Mother your things!"

She jumped out of bed and went into the kitchen. She began rearranging her things so her mother would have a good trip. When she was done, she handed the things to her mother and kissed her cheek.

"I hope you have a safe trip"

Right by the window, when she was about to leave, she asked "Are you sure you sure about this? Are you sure you can take of yourself?" looking into her eyes. Katara felt like her was suddenly intruding her thoughts and quickly answered looking back into the basket

"Yes mother." She looked back up to her face

"I'm sure I can take care of myself"

And soon enough, she was waving out the window, watching her mother leave. The words I love you ringing in her head. After seeing her go through the tunnel, she rushed back to her room.

"Lee! Lee! Where are you?"

She looked under her bed but found it empty. _Did he run away? Did he steal anything? Oh im so stupid! How could I have-_

CRASH!

She pivoted back to see him on the floor, the closet crushing him.

"Lee!"

She ran up to him. He began to pull himself up, lifting the closet with him. He put a hand up signaling for her not to come closer

"Im fine, im fine."

He pushed the closet up with himself and stood, covered in some dust. He was breathing fine, just a little faster, showing he had strength. He dusted off the dirt on his shoulders and looked at her. She stared back

"Hey"

"...hey"

They continued to stare until it became awkward. She looked back first and suddenly felt like a coward.

"So, we going?"

She looked back at him and finally nodded.

"Yeah, yeah let's go"

OOO

"You coming peasant?"

She was looking at the landscape peacefully, worried, anxious, excited… until he said that.

"You're no better than a peasant yourself!" she yelled down.

With a sudden rush of confidence she smiled, and she jumped.

Wind splashed into her face, and she felt it pass through her whole body. The adrenaline made her laugh! She laughed until she was so close to hitting the ground. She quickly made a wave of water, allowing her to glide on it and land safely on the ground. She looked back up to her high tower then looked back where she landed. She was finally here! On the ground! The grass, the dirt! Her toes curled and she felt like she could do anything!

"I did it! I finally did it!"

The land she had always dreamed of touching, she touched. Giggling, she fell face forward into the grass and rolled in it. She saw the full blue sky and smiled. _Wow it's so beautiful_.

She looked to the side and got up, jogging towards the water. Her feet felt the cold pond water and the smooth rocks beneath her. She felt so alive! She felt like she could stay here forever and never go back. Forgetting Lee, she ran towards the tunnel through the vines. She was greeted by the large trees, beautiful evergreens and yellows and the warm sunlight passing through the foliage. A swarm of yellow winged birds passed by her and she laughed again.

"I can't believe I did this" she whispered to herself

"I can't believe I DID THIS!" She was full on laughing now.

She heard a rustle behind her and saw Lee pull back the vines from the tunnel coming into view. He smiled at her expression. She looked very...happy.

She smiled back, but the sudden thought of her mom came back.

"Mother would be furious..."she mumbled to herself. He passed her and continued walking. She followed, but now with some anxiousness. They passed a batch of colourful flowers. They lined the flower in groups of bright yellows, violets, reds, and blues. It was enough to make her forget her worries.

She smiled and walked through them in awe, looking at all the beautiful colourful flowers. She took a 20 minute break just sitting in the meadow.

"Paintings don't do them justice...mother would want me to see these right? Yeah…"

They continued walking, passing a large cave filled with beautiful purple stones, reflecting light making them appear as if they were glowing.

"But she'll be so worried!" She said, biting her fingers.

Soon they passed a large tree, with many branches and foliage. A perfect climb.

"BEST. DAY. EVER!" She yelled at the top of her lungs from the top of the tree. She laughed, head falling backwards. She wondered what Lee thought of all of this and looked down.

"Lee!"

She saw him look up from his leaning position on the tree.

"What?" He said, sounding a little irritated.

"Come up here and see the view! It's amazing!"

"Nah, I'm good thanks." He said waving her off.

He had seen plenty of better sights before than what could possibly be seen from up there. He sighed, knowing that she'll probably stay up there for another half hour. At first, the sightseeing was sort of fun, having the upper hand in already seeing the landscape and at seeing her joyfully look at everything. But then she started getting these mood swings and now he thinks she's a little unstable. He can't help but be curious as to why one moment she's all happy and then the next she looks like she's going to cry.

He looked up again but couldn't find her in the branches. He was about to call out for her when he felt a breath on his cheek

"Boo"

He yelped. There she was hanging backwards on a branch beside him, her head right beside his.

"Don't! Do That!"

"Do what?" She asked innocently, biting her lip to prevent her laughing.

He shrugged his shoulders and puffed out his chest.

"Alright, we've had enough playtime. Let's go."

He started walking forward, in longer strides this time. She jumped down and followed closely, now a little jittery.

"What's the rush? We still have two more days. I still want to see more."

He looked back and saw her walking very closely. He could smell her from here, a flowery scent, but he just looked back forward still marching.

"Exactly. There's far too much to see, and you won't see all of it by just staying in a tree for the whole morning."

In reality, he was just tired of walking, sitting and all the sudden mood swings. His back still felt empty not having his dao swords. All he had were his fire bending skills and yet, he knew he couldn't use it or else people would find out he was: Zuko fire bending banished prince. Of course, Katara already knew he was a fire bender, but she did not know he was the banished prince of the fire nation. He never told her because the less people that knew the better, and well, she might've treated him differently. He was still striding along when he no longer felt her presence behind him. He turned around to see she had stopped at a rock and was now resting on it on the floor. She was shaking a little and holding her head in her hands. _Well fireblazes_. He didn't know how to deal with crying girls or how to console them. By now, he was too tired to even try so he leaned on the same rock but stayed standing.

"It seems to me you are at war with yourself. In times like this, my uncle tells me to ease my mind and listen."

Katara looked up to see him standing behind her. He waved his hand

"I know, I know I don't know your whole story, but from what I've learned: you have an over protective mother, you're on a forbidden road trip, I mean, it may seem hard to deal with right now but you just got to do it. I've had my share of experiences and I realized that it's best to become more independent. Be yourself. Some rebellion, some change, that's good. That's good. Trust me on this."

"You think?"

"I know."

Katara stayed watching him, still a little worried about her mother.

He sighed seeing her still uneasy.

"You know what, I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I'm letting you out of the deal."

Katara's head popped up.

"Wait, what?!"

"Yup, let's just go back, get you and your mother to reconcile as a happy family based on mutual trust while I get my swords and the necklace back and we can part as unlikely friends." He says lifting her up from her shoulders.

Katara was so shocked at hearing **this** ; It took a while for her to react.

"No! I am seeing, those lights! We made a deal!"

"Oh come on! What's it going to take to simply get my swords back?"

In the middle of their commotion, they both heard ruffling from the bush beside them. Katara- still uneasy about her leaving the tower- grabbed the closest water source she could find and ducked behind Lee.

"Who is that? What is it? Have they come for us?"

Out jumped a fire ferret, uncommon in the water tribe kingdom land.

"Oh! It's so cute! What is it?" She gushed, coming out behind Zuko and letting the water slide back to the pond not too far away.

Zuko was surprised to see a fire ferret in this land, especially because they were a fire nation native animal. But he answered her with some enthusiasm as he knew what they were and he was pretty proud of his knowledge.

"They're called fire ferrets, arboreal mammals common to bamboo forests in the east, by the fire nation. They are known for their bright red fur coats and bushy tails. They travel in packs, but sometimes they fend off on their own to make them look superior to other males"

"That sounded like it was memorized from a textbook"

"I like to read"

Katara looked at him suspiciously for a moment but let it slide. She walked towards the fire ferret in an attempt to pet him.

"Hey little guy, what are you doing out here, out in the west, huh? Where are you coming from?"

When she got too close, he scurried backwards, leaving a 5 foot gap between them. She tried to get close again, but he stepped back. It continued until she was full on chasing him, laughing and forgetting her worries again. Zuko hurriedly followed, not losing her for a second. He wanted to find out where the ferret came from too, until they got to a clearing. He stopped to look and saw a small cabin house with a sign that read _the friendly badgermole_. Katara stopped too and spotted the little thing squeeze through a hole by the side of the cabin.

"What is this place?" she asked

"I don't know" he said, frowning. "Probably an old lady's cottage or something."

"You wanna check it out?" She asked him biting her lip in anticipation.

Zuko saw the excitement and curiosity in her eyes

"We need food anyway"

…

"Why not"

They walked towards the cottage, expecting nothing really, but as they say, life is full of surprises.


	8. Chapter 7

Katara gestured towards the door "...knock"

"What, I thought you were knocking"

"No, you're supposed to knock."

"Ladies first"

"No pain no gain"

"Wait, what?"

"never mind"

She proceeded to bang the door so hard, it almost broke down.

"A little enthusiastic much."

She gave him a look but soon a little slit on the door opened, and out looked two wild looking green eyes.

"Yeeees?" The man croaked

Zuko and Katara looked at each other before she replied

"Hi, we were just looking for a place to eat, is it alright if we borrow some food?"

"Borrow? You going to give it back or something?" He said laughing maniacally.

She blushed, realizing her mistake.

"Sorry I meant-yeah, may we have some food please?"

"There is plenty of food down here! Come in Come in!"

And then he closed the slit and a second later, the door slid into the earth.

They saw the man, relatively tall in old rags, extremely hunched hopping down a flight of stairs. He was humming cheerfully, but both Katara and Zuko stayed upstairs watching him leave. Zuko thought him crazy, while Katara was just confused.

"Should we follow him?" She whispered

"Mmmm..."Zuko replied, still unsure. He was hungry, but he also didn't want to be responsible for anything that happened to either him or her in there.

"Well, What are you love birds waiting for! The party's only just begun!"

They both turned red and Zuko called out,

"Were NOT LOVE BIRDS!"

They heard his cackling laugh downstairs and faint other voices.

"Alright, let's do this" Katara said, patience running out.

"Wait...You sure?" He asked, grabbing her wrist.

"Yeah, I mean he doesn't look **that** crazy, and I'm hungry."

Zuko would beg to differ, but obviously he doesn't beg. Not to just anyone anyway. So he let go of her wrist and followed her. As they trudged down the steps, they heard the faint voices become louder, and the sounds of laughter, along with the smell of beer and other stenches.

When they finally reached the last step, they opened the door there and were greeted with a sight.

Men in green everywhere, drinking, laughing, some in corners sulking and some were fighting. Some were already knocked out on the tables and chairs. There was a stage with a piano but no one was playing. Everyone seemed to be doing their own thing until someone finally pointed them out. They looked very out of place, as the whole room was covered in colors of greens and browns yet here they were with blue and red. The old man that greeted them at the entrance came back and stepped between the two, putting his surprisingly muscly arms on both Katara and Zuko's shoulders

"Have fun!" He said snorting, letting them go.

Someone from the back yelled out

"Hey! I think I know you!"

The crowd looked towards the man that yelled out, who was pointing his finger at Zuko.

"Umm, you must be mistaken. I'm traveling; I'm not from around here."

"Yeah, but your face looks familiar" he said drunkenly. Then another man rose from his seat pointing at Zuko with his dagger,

"Yeah, I think I've seen you too."

Then everyone started murmuring, some agreeing and rising from their seats. The old man backed away from them and suddenly everyone began circling Lee. Katara was pushed aside, trying to get a glimpse of his shaggy black hair again. Who knew what they could do to him, and they had weapons. She backed up a little and ended up bumping someone. Suddenly two hands were on her arms and a man's voice came from behind saying,

"Woah, better watch yourself, you could get hurt."

She looked back to see a handsome young boy, and she suddenly got very red. She felt her arms burning from the sudden contact and she pushed him a little to get out of his grasp.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that" she said gulping. She was not used to the sudden closeness and she didn't like it. He looked back at her with a smug smile and said smoothly.

"No worries, I would never hurt someone as beautiful as you"

She blushed even more, never hearing compliments from anyone but her mother but she refused to be swayed so easily. She turned away and headed back to where her friend Lee was. What she found was terrorizing.

A large man with a short beard was holding Lee by the waist, his hands tucked in so he could not fire bend. Everyone had their swords and daggers out and some, with pieces of rock in their hands. A short person with a big ball of black hair on their head was standing before him telling him something. The person, still talking to Lee, used their foot to command a medium sized piece of earth to float up towards Lee's face, ready to strike

Katara felt like she needed to do something now! So she took out the water from her pouch and put all her strength in it to hit the short person's piece of rock away from his face.

The piece of earth smashed onto to the floor beside them and everyone turned to look at the intruder. They all looked at her in surprise, even Lee.

"PUT HIM DOWN!"

They stared at her in silence, no one moving.

"Look, I don't know where I am but I need Him to take me to see the floating lights cause I've been dreaming about this my entire life!...Find your HUMANITY. Haven't you ever had a dream?"

They continued to stare and Katara saw the short person put down the remaining pieces of rock they had down. They started towards her, and when they got close enough she could see it was young rough looking girl with pale eyes. The short girl looked up at her,

"I had a dream, once."

She stared back in shock, as she was expecting some kind of blow up. The girl suddenly sent a piece of rock towards a man sitting with a cart full of cabbages, who also had a harmonica in his lap. He began to play.

"I'm malicious, mean and scary

My sneer could curdle dairy

And violence-wise, my hands are not the cleanest

But despite my evil look

And my temper, smelly foot

I've always yearned to be a concert pianist"

She sang, jumping to the stage and began to play

"Can'tcha see me on the stage performin' Mozart?

Tickling the ivories 'til they gleam?

Yep, I'd rather be called deadly

For my killer show-tune medley

Thank you!

'Cause way down deep inside

I've got a dream"

To her surprise, everyone else began bobbing their heads, all a little drunk. They sang along

"She's got a dream!

She's got a dream!"

"See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem!

Though I do like breaking femurs

You can count me with the dreamers

Like everybody else

I've got a dream!"

Then a young man jumped on the stage too, the same fire ferret from outside following him. Sitting on the grand piano, he began to sing. All the while the girl still played, smiling.

"I've got scars and lumps and bruises

Plus something here that oozes

And let's not even mention my complexion

But despite my extra toes

And my weird humor, and my nose

I really want to make a love connection"

He sang with his eyes closed, dreaming. Taking out a flower from a vase that she hadn't seen before, he continued, passing the flower to the little girl

"Can't you see me with a special little lady?

Rowin' in a rowboat down the stream?

Though I'm an awesome bender

I'm a lover, not a fighter –

'Cause way down deep inside

I've got a dream

I've got a dream!"

He finished by jumping off the stage where the other men held him up

 _He's got a dream!_

 _I've got a dream!_

 _He's got a dream!_

They put him down and the big man, who was holding Zuko, hung him by the collar on a hanger.

"And I know one day romance will reign supreme!

Though my face leaves people screaming

There's a child behind it, dreaming –

Like everybody else

I've got a dream"

Katara began to feel the beat rock in her body and walked towards the girl playing the piano. The girl told her,

"Jet would like to quit and be a florist

Haru does interior design

Boulder's into mime

Attila's cupcakes are sublime

Bruiser knits

Killer sews

Feng does little puppet shows"

And then the girl stops, brings her hand toward the old man in the center of the room

"And Bumi here collects ceramic unicorns!" She says while he randomly takes out two tiny unicorns and makes them kiss. He then mouths something to her very quickly. Something like _this is you, and this is_ and his eyes look toward Lee, still hung on the hanger. Everyone else turns towards him too and he notices.

"What?"

"What's your dream?" the young girl asks, crossing her arms. The boulder brings him down the hook.

"Oh no, no, no. I don't sing."

Everyone's dagger and sword is out and he's convinced

"I have dreams, like you – no, really!

Just much less touchy-feely

They mainly happen somewhere

Warm and sunny"

He sings doing this weird thing with his hands and feet.

"On an island that I own

Tanned and rested and alone!

Surrounded by enormous piles of money"

Some men cheered and the beat continued. Katara felt like it was her turn, and so she jumped on top of a table and sang

"I've got a dream!

The crowd sang back

"She's got a dream!"

"I just want to see the floating

Lanterns gleam!"

Still drunk and the girl playing the piano, they cheered

"Yeah!"

"And with every passing hour

I'm so glad I left my tower –

Like all you lovely folks

I've got a dream!"

 _She's got a dream!_

 _He's got a dream!_

 _They've got a dream!_

 _We've got a dream!_

 _So our diff 'rences ain't_

 _really that extreme!_

 _We're one big team...!_

 _Call us brutal –_

 _Sick –_

 _Sadistic –_

 _And grotesquely optimistic_

 _'Cause way down deep inside_

 _We've got a dream!_

 _I've got a dream!_

 _I've got a dream!_

 _I've got a dream!_

 _Yes way down deep_

 _Inside, I've got a dream!_

They cheered one last time and laughed. Katara jumped off the table and looked for Lee. He was sort hiding in the back so she tried to reach him. Suddenly a burly man ran down the stairs and told them

"I found the guards!"

Katara was confused, but when she felt the tug on her arm, she realized they were most likely looking for Lee.

Lee pulled her away, behind the bar, and ducked underneath. She was nervous for him and herself. She then saw the short girl make her way towards them and hoped she was coming to help them. Her intentions were clear when she stood little ways from the wall, and stomped the ground. A hole in the ground emerged and a tunnel followed. The girl pointed inside

"This'll lead you out. Be quick so they don't discover you."

Katara was so thankful for her she hugged her. The girl was stiff at first but accepted it.

"Thank you so much…I never got your name"

"Toph." She said smiling sweetly. She wanted to continue the conversation but too soon she felt the familiar tug of Lee's hand.

"Go, live your dream"

"I will." Lee replied too fast.

"I was talking to **her** sparky. Your dream sucks"

Katara laughed quietly and thanked her again. They entered the dark tunnel, unprepared for what was going to come.

.

Next chapter is in Zuko's pov! Before you skip, there's some vital info in it and i didn't put in the whole song again so don't worry. It's not that long


	9. Chapter 8

Zuko looked inside and saw lots of men in green everywhere, drinking, laughing, some in corners sulking and some were fighting. He knew they were earthbenders. Probably the ones who were criminals or else why would they have a bar in the middle of a forrest in water tribe kingdom territory? There was a stage with a piano but no one was playing. He continued to study the room and looked at the men. Only then did he notice everyone staring at them. The old man from before came back and stepped between the two, putting his surprisingly muscly arms on both Katara and Zuko's shoulders

"Have fun!" He said snorting, letting them go.

Someone from the back yelled out

"Hey! I think I know you!"

The crowd looked towards the man that yelled out, who was pointing his finger at Zuko. Hiding his character, he replied calmly,

"Umm, you must be mistaken. I'm traveling; I'm not from around here."

"Yeah, but your face looks familiar" he said drunkenly. Then another man rose from his seat pointing at Zuko with his dagger,

"Yeah, I think I've seen you too."

Then everyone started murmuring, some agreeing and rising from their seats. The old man backed away from them and suddenly everyone began circling Zuko.

Zuko already knew that if they were to find out he was the prince in disguise, the air and earth kingdom's thief; he wouldn't see the light of day. They came closer, inspecting him and then suddenly, their eyes bulged opened. Their shock turned into sneers and snickers. Zuko was already sweating for he knew he couldn't win this fight. He then felt two large arms wrap around his arms and torso, keeping him in place.

"You're going nowhere…"

Now he was angry. It was stupid to come down here and expect nothing to happen. He couldn't see his capturer, but could sense that the man was huge. But then, everyone's snickering about putting him in his rightful place stopped abruptly. A young small girl stepped into the circle and stepped in front of him.

"You're not getting away with this"

The girl laughed. She didn't seem intimidated by him at all, rather, she looked amused.

"So **you're** the banished prince every nation wants as prisoner. You don't look as tough as they say."

"Why you-"

"Calm down sparky, I'm blind. I actually can't see how tough you look. But based on how whiny you are, you really don't sound tough at all" She smirked but he got even angrier.

"Look. The boys here need money and the treasures right 'ere. If I don't take this chance at getting money it means I'm stupid. And one thing's for sure. I don't act stupid…Well, not when I want to anyway"

She signaled a young boy with a moustache to get the guards

Zuko looked at the piece of rock in horror anticipation that she began to slowly bring up to his face. _Not the nose…"_

The piece of earth smashed onto to the floor beside them and everyone turned to look at the intruder. Zuko's jaw dropped

"PUT HIM DOWN!"

They stared at her in silence, no one moving.

"Look, I don't know where I am but I need Him to take me to see the floating lights cause I've been dreaming about this my entire life!...Find your HUMANITY. Haven't you ever had a dream?"

Zuko stared at her, grateful for saving his life but also because he was just so shocked. The girl in front of him stepped towards her. He was about to tell the girl to run, to defend herself because she was going to be toast! But the girl simply stopped in front of her and said

"I had a dream, once."

She suddenly sent a piece of rock towards a man sitting with a cart full of cabbages, who also had a harmonica in his lap. He began to play. And she began to sing.

What?

The people in the bar began to sing along, and Katara looked as shocked as he was. Was this rehearsed or something? How had the girl gone from threatning him to singing cheerfully? When had this happened? Was that piano always there? Why is there a man sitting on the piano singing too?

Everyone was singing about their dreams and seemed so much happier, free, like they've waited so long to let that out for very long. In a weird way, he felt kind of bad for them. They seem like people who wouldn't think about these things, yet Katara managed to get it out of them. He was surprised to no longer feel the crushing grip on his arms anymore, but then the man who had been holding him put him on a rack.

"You stay right here"

Zuko gave him an annoyed look. He couldn't go anywhere, why are you making it even more painfully obvious?

I hate this place

"Jet would like to quit and be a florist

Haru does interior design

Boulder's into mime

Attila's cupcakes are sublime

Bruiser knits

Killer sews

Fang does little puppet shows"

And then the girl stops, brings her hand toward the old man in the center of the room

"And Bumi here collects ceramic unicorns!"

Zuko watched everyone do their thing, even the man who had been holding him, the boulder, do some mime trick. The old man from before had two tiny unicorns in his hands and was signaling something to Katara. She looked towards him and she was blushing. She looked cute when she was blushing. Then everyone's eyes were on him

"What?"

"What's your dream?" the young girl asked from way over there, by the piano. The boulder brought him down. He finally got the gist but refused.

"Oh no, no, no. I don't sing."

Then everyone's weapons were pointing at his face, and really, there's nothing he could have done in the moment. With sudden urgency he improvised

"I have dreams, like you – no, really!

Just much less touchy-feely

They mainly happen somewhere

Warm and sunny"

It was true, he did want to back to the fire nation

"On an island that I own

Tanned and rested and alone!

Surrounded by enormous piles of money"

He did want his throne back, and had always wished to be a little less pale.

Some men cheered and the beat continued. Then when he thought the situation couldn't get any weirder, Katara jumped onto the table smiling so radiantly and sang

"I've got a dream!

The crowd sang back

"She's got a dream!"

"I just want to see the floating

Lanterns gleam!"

"Yeah!"

"And with every passing hour

I'm so glad I left my tower –

Like all you lovely folks

I've got a dream!"

The passion in her voice was not missed by Zuko. He could truly see this meant something to her, that she really did want this. He didn't know why, but in that moment, he made it his resolution to help her fulfill it.

"…a dream!"

"…got a dream!"

"…I've got a dream!"

"Yes way down deep"

"Inside, I've got a dream!"

They cheered one last time and laughed. Katara jumped off the table and seemed to be looking for someone. She caught sight of him and gave him a grin. He was taken aback, but smiled back. But then, Haru ran down the stairs and yelled out

"I found the guards!"

Zuko didn't waste any time to hide. He grabbed her tiny wrist and pulled her underneath the bar. He could hear several steps and decide to look at who came.

One water kingdom guard, three fire nation guards? Behind them, the biggest surprise. His sister, Azula, his ex-girlfriend, Mai and Ty lee the other friend. Why were they here? What where they doing? Why now? The questions pooled in his head so he ducked. He saw that the girl who had sung was making a tunnel under the ground. The girl pointed inside

"This'll lead you out. Be quick so they don't discover you."

Katara hugged her and she hugged back.

"Thank you so much…I never got your name"

"Toph." She said smiling sweetly. Zuko couldn't wait any longer. They needed to go, now. He pulled Katara's wrist. She looked reluctant but started forward with him.

Toph whispered "Go, live your dream"

"I will." Zuko replied too fast.

"I was talking to her sparky. Your dream sucks"

Katara laughed quietly and thanked her again. Zuko was very worried. They entered the dark tunnel, unprepared for what was going to come.


End file.
